USFCR Blog

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in March 2016 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Government contracting is often seen as the holy grail for business, a reliable partner with a never-ending requirement and funding source. With such a large market, it is no surprise that businesses want a piece of the pie. But is the pie right for you?

The HUBZone Certification Program can help your business win more government contracts. USFCR provides a streamlined process to make sure this process happens error-free and compliantly.

Using a third-party consulting firm to assist with your registration saves time and money and ensures compliance. Here's how our program works.

The 8(a) Business Development Program requires a lengthy certification process. This designation can help your business win more government contracts. USFCR provides a streamlined process to make sure this process happens error-free and compliantly.

Setting up as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) and/or an Economically-Disadvantaged Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) can help your business win more government contracts. USFCR provides a streamlined process to ensure this process happens error-free and compliantly.

Veteran's Choice Procurement, LLC is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) located in Austin, Texas. They provide healthcare supplies and equipment to federal agencies. With USFCR's services, owner Jesse Carlow went from starting a business to winning six contracts in less than a year.

In the first quarter of the fiscal year, the Pentagon awarded Microsoft its prestigious $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract. 

For now. 

That's because if you've been reading up on this contract, you would know it was riddled with disputes. One of which was a bid protest made by Oracle Corporation. Then, right after Microsoft was awarded, Amazon Web Services was expected to file one as well. 

This blog post will give you a rundown on bid protests.

We are going to answer the following:  

• What is a bid protest? 
• Why are bid protests filed?
• Where do I file a bid protest? 
• How should I approach bid protests? 

Let's begin. 

This November, FedBizOpps (FBO) is set to merge with beta.SAM. 

With that in mind, it's time to discuss past big changes in the federal marketplace. That's because with every major change comes major problems. How you handle these problems will determine your success or failure in government contracting. 

In this blog post, we will cover common issues that contractors face whenever the federal government implements a new policy or system. When you know what issues to expect, you'll be better equipped to handle them. 

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

“I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of 2 million parts – all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract.”

This apocryphal quote comes from the early days of NASA. Some attribute it to Alan Sheppard. Others claim it was John Glenn.

Either way, no one can agree on who said it or the exact phrasing. What did happen, though, was the perpetuation of a government contracting myth: it always comes down to the lowest bidder.

Market research is crucial for success in government contracting. After all, you should know who is buying what so you can find your target customers. If you're considering contracting with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), here's a list of the top 10 industries for HHS contracts from the previous fiscal year.

The information used to write this blog post was extracted from the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). This list comprises the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes associated with each top industry.

Let's start the countdown.